Electric switch



July 10, 1923.

G. A. BURNHAM ELECTRIC SWITCH Filed Oct. 12 1920 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 July 10, 1923. 1,461,695

G. A. BURNHAM ELECTRIC SWITQH Filed Oct. 12 1920 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Jive/e11 Zo'r.

Patented July 10, 1923.

UNITED STATES PATENrorFm-E.

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OF BBOOKLINE, MASSACHUSETTS.

ELECTRIC SWITCH.

To all whom. it may concern:

Be it known that I, Gnome A. BURNHAM, 'a citizen of the United States, residin at San s, in the county of Essex and tate of l assachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Electric Switches, of which the following is a s ecification.

This invention re ates to electric switches having movable means to absorb energy developed therein upon' circuit interruption,

as a resiliently supported oil receptacle adapted to be moved downward upon the development of abnormal gaseous pressure conditions within the switch resulting from circuit interruption, as set forth in my Patent No.'1,413,156, dated April 18, 1922 and my co-pendin application, Serial No. 374,276, filed pril 16, 1920.

'The object of the present invention is to provide a switch of the type above set forth with means gradually to arrest the movement 'of the movable means, as the oil receptaele, after it has moved sufficiently to accomplish its purpose.

Briefly this object is attained by the pro-.

vision of shock-absorbing means adapted to resist movement of the oil receptacle and gradually bring it to rest. The shock absorbing means may be of any desirable type, as friction, hydraulic and the like, and a desirable means may comprise a resilient bumper connected with the switch frame and interposed in the path of movement of the oil to be engaged by it and gradually to an rest its movement. Upon the reduction of pressure within the switch, the receptacle will be returned to its normal position through the influence of its resilient supporting means.

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a switch of the type set forth in my Patent No. 1,413,156, dated April 18, 1922 embodying my resent invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation, partly in section of a switch of the type set forth in my coending application Serial No. 374,27 6, led April 16, 1920, embodying my present invention.

Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section of the switch of Fig. 1. Y

Fig. 4 is a side elevation, partly in section, of the switch illustrated in Fig. 1, embodying'a modified form of the invention.

Fig. 5 is a lan view of the bum r 'alo line 5--5 of ig. 4. P6 P Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional elevation along line 6-6 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 7 isa further modified form of means for arresting themovement of the oil receptacle.

Fig. 8 is a plan view along line 8-8 of Fig. 6.

s here shown, the switch of the type set forth in my Patent No. 1,413,156, dated Apr l 18, 1922, which I have chosen in Fig. 1 to illustrate my present invention, includes the sw tch frame 1 having the peripheral depending apron 2 within which the oil receptacle 3 is movably received. Said oil receptacle is contained within and supported by an outer or spill receptacle 4 whose side walls are spaced from the side walls of the Oll receptacle and extend upwardly beyond the end of said apron 2.

Said oil receptacles rest upon and are su ported by the grid 5 extended transverse y beneath the receptacles and having end portions projecting therebeyond. Rods 6 are secured in the projecting portion of said grid and extend upward beyond opposite side walls of the spill receptacle and are slidably received in openings in the lugs 7 extended from the switch frame. The upper portlons of said openings in the lugs are enlarged to form the recesses 8. Compression springs 9 are received in said recesses over the ends of said rods, which are screw-threaded. Nuts 10 are removably received on the threaded ends of said rods and engage the upper ends of said 5 rings, whereby the oil receptacle is yielding y supported in position with respect to the switch members 11 carried by the switch frame. The oil receptacle may be removed from position by removing said nuts 10.

The oil receptacle herein described comprises the movable member adapted to move to absorb energy developed within the switch resultin from circuit interruption.

While any esirable means ma be employed for gradually arresting an governing the movement of the oil receptacle, for the purpose of illustrating my present inventipn I have, in Fig. 1, illustrated the shockdevice comprising the two friction arms 12 and 13 having enlarged cooperating frictional bearing portions 12 and 13* connected by the center bolt 14 and pressed into adjustable yielding frictional engagement by the spring washer 15 and nut 16 carried on the end of said bolt. The ends of said arms 12 and 13 are pivotally secured to the oil receptacle and a fixed support, as the switch frame, either directly or, as here shown, through the straps 17 and 18 secured respectively to the switch frame and the supporting grid 5 of the oil receptacle.

n Fig. 2, the shock-absorber arms 12 and 13 are pivotally' secured to the oil receptacle 3 through the lug 19, and the platform 20 supporting the oil receptacle.

Preferably two shock-absorbing devices are employed, which are arranged on opposite sides of the oil receptacle to give a balanced action.

In both arrangements, the action is the same. the movements of the oil receptacle away from the switch frame and cause it to move less violently and also cause its return to normal osition to be more gradual.

The s oak-absorber may be arranged to govern the movement of the oil receptacle throughout its movements or they may be arranged to permit an unrestricted, or less restricted, movement of the receptacle for a certain extent of movement and thereafter a restricted or more restricted further movement.-

In the modifications illustrated in Figs. 4 through 8, the oil receptacle, as the movable energy absorbing means, is permitted a certain amount of unrestricted movement and thereafter the movement is restricted and the receptacle is gradually brought to rest.

In the modifications illustrated in said figures, the energy or shock absorbing means comprises a resilient bumper including the flat U-shaped strap of steel or other suitable metal formed with the fiat bottom portion 21 extended beneath the grid 5 sup porting the oil receptacle, and the two arms .21 extended upwardly beyond the side walls of the s ill receptacle midway between the receptac e supporting rods 6. Lugs 22 are formed on the switch frame midway between said lugs 7 and said arms of the strap are removably bolted thereto by the bolts 23. The bottom portion 21 of the strap is spaced a suitable distance below the bottom of said grid and resilient means, as the rubber block 24 of suitable characteristics, is secured thereto by the screws 25. The dimensions of said strap are such that normally said block is supported, say, half an inch below the bottom of the grid. When the oil receptacle is moved sufficiently downwardly by gaseous switch, it will attain considerable momen- The shock-absorbers serve to restrict pressure conditions within the tum and when it strikes the resilient block, it will compress it and be brought gradually to rest.

To remove the oil receptacle said strap will first be removed. i

In the modifications illustrated in Fig. 6, the rods 6 are fixed in the lugs 7 of the switch frame and slidably extended through openmgs in the receptacle supporting grid 5 and beyond said grid. The extended ends of said rods are threaded and plates 26 are removably secured thereon by the nuts 27 threaded on the extended ends of said rods. Compression springs 28 encircle said rods between said p ates 26 and grid 5 and yield- 'ingly support the oil receptacle in normal pluposition about the switch members. A rality of resilient rubber blocks 29 are secured to said plates 26 and said plates are spaced sufficiently below said grid to permit the desired extent of movement of the oil receptacle before makin contact with said blocks. The shock-absor ing action is essentiall the same as before.

T e oil receptacle may be removed by first removing said plates 26.

It is obvious that other shock-absorbing means may be provided, and otherwise arranged without departing from the spirit of mg invention.

claim:

1. An electric switch having a component adapted to move to absorb energy, yielding supporting means for said component, and yielding means to control the action of said supportin means.

2. An e ectric switch having a component adapted to move to absorb energy, yieldin supporting means for said component, an energy-absorbing means for said yielding supportin means.

3. Ane ectric switch having an oil receptacle adapted to move downward to absorb energy and means to govern its downward movement and return it gradually in position.

4. An electric switch having a component adapted to be moved under conditions resultmg from circuit interruption, yieldin supporting means for said component, an means gradually to arrest the movement of said componen 5. An electric switch having a fixed component, a component adapted to be moved under conditions resulting from circuit interruption, a yieldin connection between said fixed and mova le components, and means extended between said fixed and movable components arranged gradually to arrest the movement of said movable component.

6. An electric switch having a fixed comonent, a second component having a yielding connection with. said first component and movable "under conditions resulting s i-sneer;

from circuit interruption and ally to arrest the movement of said. movable component 7. An electric switch fixed component, a second component having ing connection with said com] and movable under conditions res "from circuit interruption and eie tended between said fixed and movable com ponents gradually to arrest the movement of said movable component,

8. An electricswitch having a fixed com ponent, a second component movable under conditions resulting from circuit interrup tion to absorb energy, yielding means connectin said fixed and movable components and ot er yielding means to limit the extent of movement of said movable component gradually.

9. An electric switch comprising a switch frame, switch members carried thereby, an oil receptacle supported about said members movable under cond ions ing from circuit interruption, yielding su porting means for said oil receptacle resilient means arranged gradually to arrest the movement of said receptacle.

10., An electric switch comprising switch frame, switch members carried th re y, an oil receptacle yieldingly supported about said switch members movable under conditions resulting from circuit interruption and yielding means engageable with said receptacle after a predetermined extent of movement thereof, to restrict further movement thereof.

11. An electric switch comprising a switch frame, switch members carried there by, an oil receptacle having means arrr. yieldingly to support it about said members and means engageable with said receptacle after a predeterr ed extent movement thereof, gradually to I; the movement of said receptacle,

12. An electric switch cor :lrame, switch c oil receptacle, i said receptacle iv sitting of its 1 me under ccmuting or its movement away from said frame under conditions resulting from circuit interruption, and resilient means carried by said frame engageable by said oil ceptacle gradually to restrict further illovemcnt thereoii le An electric switch comprising a switch frame, switch members carried increby, an oil receptacle, means yieldingly connecting said receptacle with said switch. frame admitting of its movement away from said frame under conditions resulting from circuit interruption, and a strap carried by said frame extended below the bottom of said receptacle having a resilient member engageahle with said receptacle gradually to restrict its movement.

15, An electric switch comprising a switch f ame, switch members carriers thereby, an oil receptacle, means yieldingly connecting said receptacle with said frame admitting its movement away from said frame under conditions due to circuit interruption, a ti -shaped strap carried by said frame sur- "ounding said receptacle, and a resilient nember carried by said strap engageable with the bottom of said receptacle gradually to restrict movement of said receptacle.

16. An electric switch comprising a switcl, frame, switch members carried thereby, an oil receptacle, means removably connecting said receptacle yieldingly with said frame admitting of its movement away therefrom under conditions resulting from circuit interruption, a U-shaped strap removably lined to said frame and surrounding said receptacle, and a resilient member carried by said strap engageable with the bottom of said receptacle gradually to restrict move ment of said receptacle,

17', An electric switch having a switch rams, an oil receptacle having means yieldingly connecting it with said frame, and shoot bsorbing means extended betweme and receptacle operable grad to restrict movement of said receptacle:

An electric switch having a o an oil receptacle removably conn said firmer 1 eldin means clud 

